Disclaimer: All characters presented in the fic are the property of J.K. Rowling. I just like to play with them on occasion
Author's Note: Written for elementaldeity for the dmhgficexchange on livejournal.
Special Thanks: Terri, Inell, Zephyr and especially nakhashmekashefah for the wonderful feed back especially in the eleventh hour.
Chapter Nine – To Hell and Back
Hermione watched in fascination as the red ink spread across the fine column of porcelain that she held in her hand. It was really quite beautiful; the precision of the swirling spirals, each revolution turning slightly, every subsequent twist placed equidistant from the former.
Once she had completed the last embellishment on her piece, Hermione set down her instrument and began to lightly trace the rounded trails of ink across her artwork. Lifting her finger, now covered in a thick coat of scarlet, Hermione's eyes grew in horror as the vibrant red that she had been using deadened before her eyes. Hints of black crept into the ink, which now seemed to thicken.
Hermione looked back to her piece to find that the lines of red she had seen before now appeared as wells holding the same thick substance. She reached out cautiously to again trace the trails, to find the cold porcelain she had been working on was now soft and warm. It felt like-
Looking up from the graceful symmetric spirals that decorated her art, Hermione screamed.
Hermione's gaze dropped from Pansy's face to find the witch's chest, shoulders, and arms covered in shallow wells where crimson blood now pooled. Covering her mouth in horror, Hermione glanced at the thin surgical blade by her side, which was marred with bloodied fingerprints. As Hermione observed her own hands, she could see where the pads of her fingertips were now coated.
Breathing heavily, Hermione's eyes darted back and forth. As she spun from her place beside Pansy on the bed to run out of the room, she saw him and the memories came flooding back.
Hermione had just returned to her flat from an afternoon spent in Hogsmeade with Harry, Ron, and Luna who had offered to return with her. "The boys can't seem to leave their work at the office and I'm sure they will be locked in the study most of the evening," she had insisted, but Hermione politely refused. After all, there was only so much Loony she could be expected to tolerate in a day.
It had been but a quarter of an hour at the most since Hermione arrived home, when someone was knocking at the door to her flat. Living with Draco had insured that her home was heavily warded, preventing even her friends from Apparating directly inside.
"Who is it?" Hermione called, as she walked towards the door in a pair of sweat pants.
She would have never guessed that it was Pansy Parkinson on the other side of the door had she not cast a revealing charm making the door appear translucent when she heard her reply.
Hermione had no idea why Pansy would be calling, but she certainly wasn't in the mood for dealing with her right now. Ending the revealing charm, Hermione turned her back from the door without responding.
"Granger," Pansy's insistent voice called, "I think that you should really let me in. I have some information on someone that I believe you and your colleague would be quite interested in.
Hermione stopped to consider the other witch's words from outside of the door. Despite her co-operation with the Potions master at Hogwarts, Hermione still had little trust in the Slytherins. It was not difficult to see why Pansy was making efforts to align herself with Snape; she was trying to save herself from Azkaban.
Weighing all possible options, Hermione sighed, "Parkinson, I'll let you in, but if you do anything to remotely put me off, I will not hesitate to hex you into oblivion."
'It's not as if I can't handle her,' Hermione thought, as she lowered the wards and opened the door.
When Hermione saw the fear in Pansy's eyes, she immediately regretted her decision. She had not taken note of her expression when looking through the door, only casting the charm to validate that she had correctly identified the unlikely voice calling from outside.
Hermione had no chance, and Pansy was too frightened to react, when Rookwood stepped out from where he'd been hiding and disarmed Hermione. His mouth turning upward into a smile, the Death Eater incanted 'Impedimenta', immobilizing Hermione before doing the same to Pansy.
"If it isn't the remarkable Hermione Granger," Rookwood drawled, as he crossed the room to ply her hand and lift it to his lips before turning as if in disgust to spit at Pansy.
"I must say, you became somewhat notable in your own right due to your relationship with Harry Potter during Voldemort's reign. Of course, I have had the opportunity to personally observe you since then.
"When I happened across the little traitor in Hogsmeade last year, I must admit that you and your cohorts were the last that I would expect to have come to his aide. Surely there's a limit to even Gryffindor naivety."
Unable to move or respond to the wizard's remarks, Hermione concentrated on trying to find a way out of her predicament, following him with her eyes as best as she could as he circled the room.
"Well, I must say things appear to have worked out better than I could have imagined," Rookwood chuckled.
"I had rather hoped that you and young Malfoy had remained close. I knew that you worked together within the Ministry but didn't know whether your relationship was such that you would prove adequate bait for the boy," Rookwood continued, returning to the front of the room to face Hermione once again.
Absently flicking his wand and removing the charm that immobilized her, Rookwood braced himself as Hermione flew at him, seeking to knock him off of his feet. Grasping her wrists, he cast a binding charm to prevent her from making a repeated attempt while leaving her free to answer his questions.
"I must say that I'm disappointed, Miss Granger. I had rather hoped that we could be civilized about this. Despite my associations, I've never been one to relish in violence. Although, I would imagine given how close you and Malfoy appear to have become, he's already told you the care I took to ensure that he remained healthy while in my care."
Hermione's mind reeled as she processed Rookwood's commentary. 'What would give him the impression that Malfoy and I were close?' she asked herself. They had been careful not to divulge any more information about their relationship than necessary. In fact, Harry was the only person, to her knowledge, that was aware that they were living together.
"I'm not sure I understand what you are going on about," Hermione replied calmly, setting her face so as not to betray her words. "Malfoy and I are merely forced to tolerate each other's presence as we are colleagues. I would hardly call my association with the son of my parents' murderer - 'close'."
"So brilliant, yet stupid at the same time," Augustus laughed. "Surely you do not expect me to believe that you are not close to the wizard whom you live with?" he questioned, before striding past her towards the mantle above the fireplace.
Hermione shuffled her feet to turn around as he crossed the room. As her eyes tracked the direction in which he was headed, she gasped. 'The charm; Draco left the charm,' she realized, as the small bundle of herbs, leaves, and Draco's hair caught her attention from its place on the mantle.
Augustus looked back at Hermione as he reached the mantle, "So glad to see that you've caught up, Miss Granger. While I had planned on taking you ladies back to Miss Parkinson's flat, perhaps we should simply find something to occupy our time until Master Malfoy returns; if you would be so kind as to show us to your room?"
Hermione assessed her situation quickly before acknowledging she was in no position to resist. Without her wand or the likelihood that Draco would choose today to show up at the flat, her best option was to go along with Augustus until an opportunity presented itself. As she shuffled back to the bedroom, the wizard levitated Pansy's immobilized body behind her.
"What do you intend to do with me?" Hermione questioned flatly, after being shoved to the bed by Rookwood.
"I would not be too concerned, Miss Granger. While I do not care much for Mudbloods or Ministry officials, you prove of little interest to me," Augustus replied coolly.
"Fine, so you intend to use me as bait for Draco. You do know that he doesn't live here anymore? He left the charm as an oversight, I'm sure."
Rookwood raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you tell the truth, Miss Granger. Regardless, I cannot break the wards at Malfoy Manor."
"So why don't you use her again?" Hermione questioned, cutting her eyes to the Slytherin witch lying beside her.
Laughing, Rookwood clapped his hands. "Ahhh, I do so enjoy watching the dynamic between witches. To answer your question, Miss Parkinson made it evident that I cannot trust her to aid me in a discreet manner. I would not have solicited her aid for this task had I not been confident that the Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry would be sufficiently dissuasive from performing some heroic act in trying to warn you of our arrival."
Catching the look of disbelief in Hermione's eyes, Augustus continued. "Yes, Miss Granger, I was aware that Pansy contacted Severus following our conversation. Surely you did not believe that she was able to contact Professor Snape without someone finding out? The illustrious Order must realize that those of us that are still loyal to the purification of the Wizarding world are keeping a close eye on those that betrayed us."
Hermione pushed the questions railing through her head to the side and again addressed her captor. "So, just what do you intend to do with us in the meanwhile?"
"Now, that is an excellent question, Miss Granger. As I've stated, I do not take my pleasure in physical acts of violence, yet I feel that Miss Parkinson must pay for daring to go against me."
Hermione felt a sense of deep foreboding as she witnessed a cruel smile begin to form across Augustus's lips. The last clear memory she could grasp was that of him incanting "Imperio."
At some point in time Augustus must have released Hermione's bindings, as her memories were splattered with visions of carving Pansy's flesh in a trance-like state before waking again in horror to see what grievous acts her hands had created at Augustus's bidding.
As the memories flashed through Hermione's mind of her slipping in and out of Rookwood's control, her sense of helplessness flared up in her. Unwilling to further aid Augustus's demented torture, she lashed out in the only way she felt would end the torment. Grabbing the knife, she quickly jabbed it into the center of her wrist, dragging it upwards towards her elbow. As she withdrew the blade and looked at the flow of blood coming from her right forearm, she fainted as the blade dropped heavily at her side.
When Draco entered the room, he could not believe the horror that met his eyes. Pansy Parkinson was sitting perfectly still on the bed, her chest and arms covered in blood that had been drawn from her skin. Pushing back the memories of his own bloodied skin bearing similar markings left by Bellatrix's knife, he drew his wand and moved forward to where Augustus was bent over Hermione's body.
"So good of you to join us, Draco," Rookwood commented, as he carefully tended to a deep gash in Hermione's right arm. "Although Miss Granger insisted that you no longer resided here, I must say that I had a feeling you would be joining us."
Draco fought the urge to curse Augustus then and there, recognizing the severity of Hermione's wound as well as the wizard's skill in healing. "What did you do to them?" he asked instead, his voice forced steady through gritted teeth.
Augustus laughed openly as he cleaned Hermione's wound. "Now surely, my dear boy, you know me better than that. I take no pleasure in using such primitive measures with my guests. I can assure you that every drop of blood you see drawn here, was done so by Miss Granger herself."
Augustus cast a final spell, causing Hermione's wound to close, before standing to face Draco. "But now that Miss Granger has been healed and you have arrived, I really think that we should focus on my purpose for being here."
Draco gripped his wand tighter and moved to the side slowly. He wanted to minimize the likelihood that ay curses that he might throw at Augustus might go off target and hit Hermione instead. "I can assure you that I have no intentions of finding myself at your mercy again."
"Ahhh, the naivety of youth- the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And I, my dear boy, am the devil"
"That might be the case, but having been to hell and back, I can assure you that I will not be returning."
Augustus arched an eyebrow and looked at Draco. "As much as I enjoy this witty chatter, even I can admit when the time has come for action." Raising his wand in a flourish, the two wizards faced off as was traditional for a duel.
Draco and Rookwood were evenly matched. Both wizards knew a wide array of curses and were quick to anticipate their opponent's offensive attacks. Were anyone there to observe them, they might have almost believed the duel to be recreational with the ease and grace that the wizards moved throughout the room. Of course, the casting of illegal curses by both wizards would quickly correct that observation.
The wizards had been dueling for a quarter of an hour, neither having been hit with anything more harmful than a stunning spell. Draco had managed to back Augustus up into a corner of the bedroom when Hermione groaned from the bed and drew his attention.
Taking advantage of Draco's distraction, Augustus quickly cast a binding spell. "Oh dear, it appears as if your fate is damned after all," he stated, standing over Draco's petrified body with mock concern. "Surely you did not think you would escape atoning for Lucius's sins?"
"You see," a voice came from the doorway, "it's a funny thing about atonement and sin. A man cannot truly pay for another's transgressions," Ron Weasley said, before disarming Augustus and petrifying him.
"Malfoy, are you all right?" Harry called, crossing the room and ending the petrifying charm that had immobilized Draco. Harry's eyes widened in horror. Looking around the room, his eyes came across Pansy's bloodied form first before resting on Hermione, clutching at her scarred forearm.
"You bastard," Harry exclaimed, rising from Draco's side and crossing the room to stand over Rookwood. He stood shocked when Ron stripped him of his wand as he raised it to kill Augustus.
"Not this time, Harry," Ron stated, restraining Harry from physically squeezing the life out of Rookwood. "We- you've worked too hard to disregard the laws that govern our actions. We are Aurors. And as such, we cannot kill when there are other options present."
Harry looked up at Ron in disbelief. "Do you see what he did to them? How can you say that?"
Draco stood to move beside Hermione who was silently rocking back and forth as she grasped her forearm. Putting his arm around her, feeling the relief of her presence ebb and flow with the discomfort of her pain, he had ignored the two wizards debating over Augustus's incapacitated form.
"Malfoy," Harry called sharply, drawing the blond wizard's attention. "Ron here seems to think that what happens to Rookwood should be left to you."
Draco's thoughts swarmed anxiously as the meaning behind Harry's words sank in. Rookwood was restrained and they were going against protocol and allowing him to determine his fate. The months in captivity flew through his memory, the feeling of wanting to die standing out amidst all of the terror he had been forced to endure.
Smoothing back Hermione's hair, Draco stood to cross over before the man that had been his captor and tormentor for those more than two months of being held hostage. Augustus Rookwood had managed to imprison Draco's mind in a way that was far more damaging than Bellatrix's knives, Avery's fists, or the others' lustful natures. The only punishment that was fitting for him would be a lasting one.
"I do wish that the dementor's were still in the employ of the Ministry, as I think that the nightmares they might induce would be very fitting. But alas, I can only hope that living in a facility that bars your magical abilities for the rest of your life will prove to be even a fraction as torturous as my time spent in your care was. Potter, take him to your Ministry. I can no longer tolerate his stench."
Ron stood between Harry and Augustus. "I think that I'll take him to the Ministry, Harry, I do believe that Draco intends for him to arrive very much alive. You take Pansy to St. Mungo's."
Raising an eyebrow at Draco, Ron added, "I do trust that Hermione will be safe in your care?"
Harry made to protest as he sat on the bed in front of Draco and leaned across Hermione's torso to stroke her hair. When she recoiled from his touch and into Draco's chest, he stood stoically and turned to Draco. "Owl us as soon as she's ready."
Once Draco and Hermione were alone in the flat, Draco swiftly removed the bed linens, banishing them to the fire before replacing them. Casting a cleansing smell on the room, the scent of blood and that of Augustus Rookwood was replaced by welcomed nothingness.
As Draco sat back down on the bed to again take Hermione in his arms, his hand absently stroked her hair as he felt the pace of her heartbeat calm.
Hermione felt relieved as she lay in Draco's arms, the warmth of his presence not replacing, but compensating for, the repulsion she felt as she remembered Pansy's disfigured body. Looking up into his eyes, she spoke, "H- he... He made me do that to Pansy. I wanted to- I tried to..." Hermione's voice faltered as the despair she had felt when she'd woken from Augustus's final Imperio came over her again. "Oh God, I wanted to die," she sobbed, before burying her head in Draco's chest.